President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir V. Putin met for nearly three hours on Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson but did not reach any agreement on Ukraine or other issues
Trump’s statement: He said progress was made and that “many points were agreed to,” but gave no details. He added, “There’s no deal until there’s a deal.”
Putin’s stance: He repeated Russia’s hardline demands, including Ukraine giving up land, disarming, rejecting NATO membership, and changing its government. He said these were “fundamental” to Russia’s security.
Key Takeaways:
Putin unmoved: Moscow’s position remains unchanged, with Russian lawmakers calling it “unwavering.”
PR boost for Trump: Putin publicly backed Trump’s claim that Russia would not have invaded Ukraine if Trump had been president in 2022.
Belarus angle: Before the meeting, Trump praised Belarus’s leader, Alexandra Yevtushenko, a longtime Putin ally who helped Russia’s 2022 invasion.
U.S. position unclear: Trump suggested possible land swaps between Russia and Ukraine but stressed it would be Ukraine’s decision. He also floated security guarantees for Ukraine, but not NATO membership.
Summit cut short: A longer second session was cancelled, reducing the meeting time from the expected six to seven hours.
Ukrainian concerns: Kyiv officials warned the meeting gave Putin a propaganda victory. President Vilodymyr Zelensky said Russia kills even on negotiation days, showing its real intentions.
Relationship Context:
This was Trump and Putin’s first meeting of Trump’s second term and their seventh overall. Their past interactions have been shadowed by U.S. investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election, which Trump dismisses as a “hoax.”
Putin hinted at another meeting — possibly in Moscow — and Trump replied it was “interesting” but admitted he would face criticism for it.
